Running a cloud service requires a robust monitoring system with appropriate monitors generating notifications such as alerts to notify engineers and/or customers of any service issues that may arise. Typically, this is done using suitable systems that can deliver notifications via messaging services such as the short message service (SMS), telephone calls, electronic mail (email), push notifications, etc.
When a problem does occur with a system being monitored, it often causes several monitors to fire resulting in multiple monitoring notifications being sent out. This often leads to a flood of notifications, sometimes in the hundreds or thousands, that overwhelm the user. For example, an engineer may have to acknowledge dozens and sometimes hundreds of notifications, thereby causing important information to be hidden and/or lost in the barrage of notifications.
The deluge of messages is not limited to alerts and notifications sent to service engineers, but also occurs with notifications sent to customers regarding system outages. For example, when a cloud computing service is experiencing an outage, it is desirable to notify users as quickly as possible, and then provide ongoing updates regarding resolution of the issue. However, these notifications are delivered alongside any monitoring alerts and other notifications being provided to the user, increasing the overall volume of notifications.